Editorial for the first issue of Conscious Consumer Magazine

In light of the recent hype, many have come to see ‘green’ as an alternative movement, suited for cults of activists. There’re those who hold up placards on the street chanting ‘Stop Esso!’; others who chain themselves naked to trees crying for the rainforest. Granted, their degrees of expressing an ideology are different, a little radical maybe. This is not a template behaviour one needs in order to subscribe to ecological thinking. At the bottom of it, the effects of environmental degradation are not limited to particular groups but fall on us all.

As consumers we are all stakeholders in the future of our planet, our choice of what we buy and who we buy from is our vote to the kind of environment we want. Think of the (non-)renewable resources used in production, the (non-)recyclable waste left after consumption, the company that forces its employees to work long hours at low wages. Being a conscious consumer, living sustainably, therefore, is not exclusive to some but rather a collective responsibility and a mainstream necessity for the happiness, health and future of us all and our planet. There’s no finger-pointing here, we’re all in the same boat. Our individual ways of contribution might differ, some less obvious, others yelling on top of the roof, every step that is mindful of the future and the environment is an important contribution.

Luckily, as polls and action repeatedly show, the majority want to live less superficial and more meaningful lifestyles. And, hey, it cannot be that hard, you don’t have to be a fanatic. When was the last time you refused to shop for a gift and rather used your hands to make something personalized for a loved one? Switched off the TV and told stories instead? Taught someone something new – to dance, to swim, a foreign language? Went by bicycle instead of driving to work? Read a book and smiled? Felt the soil in your hands or picked a vegetable from the garden? Chances are, in your own bit, you’ve done more for a sustainable environment than you give yourself credit for, or than many others acknowledge. And, since you’re now holding this magazine in your hands, you want to do even more.

It’s not only fun, it’s healthy, saves our wallets….

This article first appeared in the magazine Tudatos Vasarlo issue 1.